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CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CLOSER Original Filed march 16. 1927 Reiuued June 2, 1931 v UNITED STATES FERDINAND A. PFEIFEB, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY-NINE PER GENT- PATENT oFFIcEj TO ELLSWOR'IH CRAIG, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO cnworr BREAKER AND cnosna original No. 1,076,155, dated July 3, 1928, Serial No. 175,684, filed March 16, 927. reinue filed January 22, 1930. Serial No. 422,666.

This invention relates to circuit breakers and'closers and other devices in which it is desirable that a part shall move quickly from one position to another.

.5, One object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker and closer, or other device of the character above set forth, which will be of a very sensitive character and in which a short movement of the operating mechanism will w, impart a relatively long movement to the pressure on the operating mechanism will impart the desired movement to the movable member.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be simple in its construction, positive in its operation and which can be roduced at a low cost.

A further 0 'ect of the invention isto provide a device which, while sturdily constructed and easily adjusted and operated, is of such character as to be extremely sensitive to small thermal changes.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the apparatus is described in detail.

a side elevation of acircuit breaker and closer embodying m inventionyFig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper portion thereof; and 3 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the upper portion of said circuit breaker and closer.

In thesedrawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as applied to a circuit breaker and closer, but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of illustration only and that the apparatus may take various forms and may be applied to devices of. various kinds without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawingsFig. 1 is Application for l i '7 In the particular embodiment here ,illus# trated the circuit breaker and closer comprises a supporting structure consisting of an upright standard 5 having a base '6 and hav:

ing depending'fr om said base an arm '7'. Carried by the supporting structure is a contact member 8 which is here shown as mounted onthe standard 5 between the ends thereof.

This contact member is insulated from the supporting structure and, in the present instance, comprises a screw 9' mounted in a bushing 10 carried by the standard 5. The rear end of the screw extends beyond the standard and has mounted thereon a nut 11 so that it constitutes a binding post by means of which the conductor may be connected with the contact member. Carried by the supporting structure and, extending transversely to the contact member 8 is an elongated yieldable member of such a character that lengthwise pressureapplied to one end thereof will cause the same to move toward and from the stationary contact member and on this yieldable member is mounted the mov able contact member. Preferably the yieldable member is of a resilient character and-is so mounted and controlled that lengthwise pressure applied to one end thereof will cause the same to buckle or bend in such a manner as to move the intermediate portionthereof {)owardor from the stationary contact mem- In the present constructiom'the yieldable member comprises a bar 12 of thin resilient metal, one end of which, in the present in- LII stance the upper end, is so secured to the supend of the bar 12, said seat being preferably disposed so that it slopes toward the contact member 8. In other words, the bar 12 is directed toward the contact member 8. The lower end of the resilient bar rests upon and is supported by a su portin member 15 which is movable lengtliwise 0 the standard 5. The resilientbar is of such a length with relation to the sup orting means therefor that it will be nor'ma y supported in a curved position, so that a relatively light pressure on the movable supporting member 15 will increase the curvature of the bar. The movable contact member 16 is connected with and actuated by the resilient bar and is preferably carried thereby and is so arranged that it will be normally held in engagement with the stationarf; contact member 8 and will be moved out of engagement therewith by the increased curvature of the resilient member which refrom an upward movement of the supporting member 15. p In the construction here shown the movable contact member comprises a part formed se arate from and secured to the resilient mem er but it would be obvious that it may consist of an inte al part of saidresintnt member. In or or that the movable contact member may be held normany in en'ga ement'with the stationary con- W tact member t e resilient bar is so arranged that it will normally have a double curvature, the upper portion of the bar curving toward the standard, that is, in a direction which will cause it to less the movable contact member toward an a inst the stationary contact member. The ower portion of the resilient bar is preferabl curved in the opposite direction or outwar 1y from the stan ard sovas to provide an initial bend which will facilitate the operation thereof, but this outward curve is not essential to the o eration of the device. This double curve ma secured in any suitable manner but, as re shown, th face f the forwardly projecting part of the standard, to which the resilient bar is secured, is'inclined downwardly and toward the body'of the -standard and the stationary contact'member extends forwardly from the standard such a distance that when the movable contact member is in engagement therewith the desired curvature will be imparted to the upper ortion of the bar. In initially placing the iii in a double or 8 curve a'quicker opening an'dclosin'g action ofthe switch is obtained. Inthe case of a straight snap switch, such as ordinarily used,"when a thermal bar or elei nnt as disclosed herein by bar- 12 issu'bjected to thermal changes, it first of all asajsubsta'ntially S shaped curve before snapping'fromone osition to the other. By initially putting suc jaicurvejin the bar this initial movement of the switch under-opera} tion conditions is dispensed with, v thereby V providing-amen sensitive device. The lower end of the bar is seated in a recess 17 in the supporting member 15, so that it is held in fixed relation thereto and the normal distance between the supporting member 15 and the point of connection of the bar with the standard being less than the length of the bar, the lower portion of the bar will curve outwardly. This normal curvature of the resilient bar may be varied by adjusting the stationary cogtact member with relation to the standar With the arrangement shown and described it will be apparent that a very slight upward movement of the supporting member 15, as shown in Figure 3, will bend or buckle the resilient bar, that is, will increase the outward curvature thereof to such an extent that the movable contact member will be moved away from thes't ationary contact mem ber'a considerable distance and when the upward pressure on the supporting member is relieved the resiliency of the bar will restore the same to its normal position and will again cause the movable contact member to engage the stationary contact member. The character'of the bar is such that a very slight movement and'a very light pressure on the supporting member will impart the desired movement to the movable contact member. This movement may be imparted to the supporting member'in any desired manner and, as here shown, the supporting member is carried by an opera-tin rod 18- which extends downwardly from the base 6 and is connected with the operating mechanism which, in the present instance, consists of a thermostat 19 mounted on the lower portion of the arm 7, which is provided at its lower end with a curved or recessed portion 20 to receive one side of the thermostat. The thermostat here shown comprises a'disk-like expansible casing upon which the lower end of the rod 18 rests and the expansion 'ofwhi'ch will impart, vertical'movement tothe rod and to the supporting member 15. The connection between the supporting member and the operating rod may be adjusted and to thisend the upper end of the rod is screw threaded into the supporting member and the rod is provided with a knurled wheel 21 by means of which it may be rotatedito efi'ectthe adjustment.

The movable Contact member may be connected'in a circuit in any suitable manner but, in the present construction, the resilient bar is of conducting material and is rounded on the standard and the standard is provided with a binding post or screw 22 ,by means of which the conductor may be connected therewith. The operation of the circuit breaker and closer will be readily understood from the foregoing description thereof and it'will be apparentthat I have provided a very simple highly efficient device which may be proion iro

duced at alow cost and which will operate quickly make and break the circuit and that only a very slight movement of the operating mechanism is necessary to impart a relatively long movement to the movable contact member. The buckling of the resilient actuating device takes place very quickly and causes the movable contact member to'snap from one position to the other. Because of the quick and relatively long movement of the movable contact member there will be little or no tendency of the current to are but the circuit will be positively and quickly broken.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications' may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, an elongated resilient member, supports for the respective ends of said resilient member, one of said supports being movable toward the other support, said supports being arranged normally to impart a double curve to said resilient member which will tend to move an intermediate portion thereof in a direction transverse to its length, and means for actuating said movable support to so modify the curvature of said resilient member that said intermediate portion thereof will be moved in a direction opposite to the first mentioned movement.

2. In a device of the character described, an elongated resilient member, a fixed support for one end of said resilient member, a support for the other end of said resilient member which is movable toward and from said fixed support, said supports being arranged normally to cause that portion of said resilient member which is adjacent to said fixed support to curve in one direction and to cause that portion of said resilient member which is adjacent to said movable support to curve in the opposite direction, and means for moving said movable support toward said fixed support to increase the curvature of the last mentioned portion of said resilient member and move the intermediate portion thereof quickly from its initial position.

3. In a device of the character described, a normally stationary member, an elongated resilient device having an intermediate portion movable toward and from said stationary member, supports for the respective ends of said resilient device, normally so arranged that one ortion of said resilient device will be curved in a direction to press said intermediate portion of said resilient device toward said stationary member and another ortion of said'resilient device will be curved in a direction opposite that in which the first mentioned portion of said resilient device is curved, the last mentioned support being movable toward the first mentioned support to so modify the curvature of said resilient device as to cause said intermediate portion thereof to be moved-from said stationary member.

4. In a device of the character described, a normally stationarymember, an elongated resilient device having an intermediate portion movable toward and from said stationary member, supports for the respective ends of said resilient device, normally so arranged that one portion of said resilient device will be curved in a direction to press said intermediate portion of said resilient device toward said stationary member and another portion of said resilient device will be curved in a direction opposite that in which the first mentioned portion of said resilient device is curved, the last mentioned support being movable toward the first mentioned support to so modify the curvature of said resilient device as to cause said intermediate portion thereof to be moved from said stationary member, and said normally stationary member being adjustable to vary the initial curvature of said resilient device. p

5. In a device of the character described, a structure having supports spaced one from the other, one of said supports being movable toward the other support, a resilient member mounted on said supports, a contact member carried by said structure between said supports, said supports being normally arranged to impart a double curve to said resilient member and to cause an intermediate portion thereof to be pressed toward said contact member, and means to move said movable support toward the other support and to so modify the curvature of said resilient member as to cause said intermediate said contact member, and means for actuating said movable support to increase said curvature and move the intermediate portion of said resilient member from said contact member.

' '7. In a device of the character described, a fixed support, a movable support spaced from said fixed support, a contact memberarranged between said supports, a' resilient member having one end secured to saidfixed support and inclined toward said contact member to member and moving said intermediate part away from said contact member.

8. In a device of the character described, an elongated resilient member, a fixed support for one end of said resilient member, a movable support for the other end of said resilient member, said supports being arranged normally to cause that portion of said resilient member which is adjacent to said fixed support to curve in one direction, and means for-moving said movable support toward said fixed support to cause that portion of said resilient member which is adjacent to said movable support to curve in a direction opposite to the curvature of said resilient member and to move the intermediate portion of said resilient member from its initial position with a snap action.

9. In a device of the character described, a fixed support, a movable support spaced from said fixed support, a normally fixed contact member arranged between said supports, a resilient member secured to said fixed su ort and engaging said movable support, said fixed support and said contact member being so arranged that that portion of said resilient memberwhich lies between the same will be curved in a direction to press the intermediate portion of said resilient member toward said contact membenand means for actuating said movable support to cause that portion of said resilient member adjacent to thesame to curve in a direction opposite the curvature of the first mentioned portion of said resilient member to move said intermediate portionof said resilient member away from said contact member.

10. In a device of the character described, a fixed support, a movable support spaced from said fixed support, a contact member arranged between said supports, an elongated resilient member connected at its ends with the respective supports and having an intermediate part movable into and out of engagement with said contact member, said supports and said contact member being so arranged with that portion of said resilient member extending between said contact memher" and said fixed support will at all times be curved in the direction of said contact member, and means for actuating the movable support to cause that portion of said resilient member adjacent to said movable support tobe curved in a direction away from said contact meinber'and thereby impart a quick movement tosaid intermediate part of said resilient'member:

lope-1- 11. In a device of the character described, a standard having atone end a forwardly extending part a support mounted near the other end of said standard for movement lengthwise thereof, a member carried by said Standard between the ends thereof and projecting inwardly therefrom, a resilient bar rigidly secured at one end to the forwardly extending part of said standard and supported at its other end by said movable sup port, said movable support being normally so arranged with relation to said part of said standard that a double curve'will be imparted to said resilient bar and the movement of said said standard, connected with said thermostat and having a part forming a support, a contact member carried by said standard between said supports, and a resilient bar secured at one end to said forwardly extending part of said standard and supported at its other end on said movable support, said movable support being normally so arranged with relation to said forwardly extending part of said standard that a double curve will be imparted to saidresilient bar and the movement of said movable support will-modify curvature of said bar and cause the intermediate portion thereof to move with relation to said contact member. 7 V

13. In a. circuit breaker, the combination of a contact member, a conducting member mounted adjacent said contact member.cooperating therewith to normally establish communication with said contact member whereby current may be transferred from one'member to the other, the contact bet-ween said contact member and said conducting member being on the dead center of said conducting member, said conducting memher having portions disposed on each side of said dead center whereby thermal changes will cause the initial movement of said con ducting member away from said contact member.

14. In a. circuit breaker, the combination of a contact, a conducting member mounted adjacent said contactand adapted to coopcrate with said contact whereby current may be selectively transferred from one to the other, supports for said conducting member confining a portion'thereof whereby a dead center isdefined by the point of. cooperation of said conducting member and said contact, and the points of confining of conducting side of said contact member, a conducting element flexed to a compound shape between said supports for electrical cooperation with said contact member at the dead center defined by said shape, one of said supports being disposed to normally direct said conducting element toward said contact member.

16. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a contact member, supports disposed on each side of said contact member, a conducting element disposed between said supports for electrical cooperation with said contact member, one of said supports being disposed to normally direct said conducting element toward said contact member, one of said supports being movable whereby said conductlng element may be set so that a condition change affecting said element will immediately break cooperative relation between said contact member and said conducting element. 17. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a contact member, supports disposed on each side of said contact member, a conducting element disposed between said supports for electrical cooperation with said contact member, one of said supports being disposed to normally direct said conducting element toward said contact member, one of said supports being movable whereby the levels of the portions of said element between said supports and said contact may be varied.

18. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a contact member, a conducting element disposed adjacent thereto and having a contact member thereon adapted to have cooperative relation with said first named contact member, said conducting element being disposed in a compound curved shape, said second named contact member being substantially at the dead center thereof, whereby any movement of said conducting element breaks engagement between said contact members.

19. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a contact member, a conducting member mounted adjacent said contact member and ada ted to establish communication with sai contact member whereby current may be transferred from one member to the other, the point on said conducting member determining the contact between said conducting member and said contact member being on the dead center of said conducting member, said point on the dead center being moved by initial movement of said conducting member to cause relative movement between said conducting member and said contact member. 20. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a contact member, a conducting element disposed adjacent thereto and having a contact member thereon adapted to have cooperative relation with said first named contact member, said conducting element being disposed in a compound curved shape, said second named contact member being substantially at the dead center thereof, whereby any movement of said conducting element moves said second named contact member with respect to said first named contact member.

FERDINAND A. PFEIFER. 

